Bound by Blood
by Syren616
Summary: Hidden all her life in plain sight, what will happen when Cythera Princes' true identity is revealed? Will the Golden Trio accept her, or shun her for her relation to someone they despise. OotP, Fred/OC eventually.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok so this is my first published work, and I am still working out the kinks. This story takes place in Harry Potter's 5th year, Order of the Phoenix, Strictly canon up until this point. This story is rated M for future chapters, which will include violence, language, etc etc.  
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**Disclaimer: **_Nothing within the Harry Potter universe belongs to me, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling, I claim no ownership over anything but my own created characters._**  
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Blood splattered walls, smeared hand prints, dirt and blood caked the floor, that was what Cythera had called home for what seemed like an eternity, since that fateful May night, her loving almond colored eyes were glazed over, her once beautiful shiny obsidian locks were now dull and matted with blood, much like the rest of her body. She thought back, remembering that fateful night once again, tears brimming in her eyes.

It had been a warm May evening, Cythera had dressed in her favorite white cotton sundress, matching wedge sandals, and her intricate silver locket that her beloved brother had given her. He had not wanted her to attend the county fair that night, said it was far too dangerous, but upon being victim to his sisters pouting, she was allowed to attend as long as she was back by ten o'clock. Her long straight black hair was charmed into bouncing spiral curls and put up in a ponytail, and she set off, not without begging her brother to accompany her, but sadly a searing pain in his left forearm prevented him from that.

She walked around the fair, nibbling happily on some cotton candy, a pale blue sticky mass that melted eagerly on her tongue. Cythera was thinking of her brother, staring up at the dark night sky as she felt the warmth of the melting sugar in her mouth, she loved her brother dearly, despite his being eighteen years her elder, she loved him. She smiled brightly as fireworks filled the sky, and that was the last thing she saw, before she woke up in the horrible room she now occupied.

No one came into her room, Cythera saw no one at all, except for the hand that delivered her food. She had given up screaming the first day, given up crying by the third, she could guess why her body was covered in bruises and had several gashes, she'd been cursed while she had been unconscious.

Aching was all Cythera felt now, both physical and emotional, she wished for her brother, wished someone would rescue from her current hell. Her throat was raw and bare, her lips chapped so angrily they bled, she was pretty sure her right shoulder was dislocated, and all she wanted was for her brother to open that door. For who knows how long all Cythera did was sit in the corner of the room, barefoot, covered in who knows what, after awhile she stopped wishing for her brother, and wished for death.

After an eternity of lying there, finally she heard something beyond her door, screaming, and she could swear one of the voices was familiar. She listened trying her hardest to make out the voice she heard, then it clicked.

"Severus! Severus, I'm in here!" She screamed hoarsely, ignoring the shooting pains it sent through her throat or the feeling of blood oozing from her cracked lips.

Her throat throbbed in anger, the deep cracks in her lips bled furiously, and every bruise and gash on her body suddenly was very real to Cythera as she crawled towards the door. She was thrust back a moment later, the heavy door violently swung open, and not a moment later Cythera was enveloped in her brother's arms.

The moment his arms surrounded her, enveloping her small fragile body, she went limp in his arms. Severus looked down at his sister, being sure not to expose any emotion to the dark witch that was staring at him.

"I wouldn't have taken her if you had kept your mind on the task the Dark Lord gave you," She hissed as Severus walked past her out of the disgusting room.

"You will pay dearly for what you have done to my only living relative Bellatrix," Severus replied coldly as he swept past her and down the hall, wishing to quickly leave the Malfoy manor.

As Severus entered the main hall, he ran into the younger Malfoy, who stared at the limp girl in his potions professors arms. Severus narrowed his eyes at the younger Malfoy, watching him scan his eyes over his little sister.

"Professor, who is-" Draco began, his voice was soft and somewhat detached, his stormy grey eyes wide seeing the blood and bruises.

"That is none of your business Draco," Severus quickly said cutting him off, and with a resounding crack, he disappeared from Malfoy manor.

Severus apparated back to his and Cythera's home, quickly taking her up to her room and lying her down on her bed, wincing as he fully observed the wounds that had been inflicted upon his baby sister. Yelling for a house elf, trying his best to ignore the crack in his voice, he quickly planned what he would do.

"What can Sprinkles do for you Master?" A soft squeaky voice said next to Severus a second later.

"Wash Cythera, take great care, she is severely injured, after she is clean dress her in something loose, put this balm on all her bruises and open cuts, then come get me," Severus ordered handing the house elf a jar full of a thick yellow paste and a jar of a clear gel-like orange paste, before retreating from the room.

Severus paced in the study, running his hands through his hair, not only was he waiting for Sprinkles to finish with his sister, but he had contacted the order and was waiting for Dumbledore. Something he particularly disliked having to do, because he knew Dumbledore was going to tell him it was useless to have Cythera go by the last name Prince, when obviously Bellatrix had found out she was his sister.

"Severus, I have just received your letter, have you found Cythera?" questioned the all too familiar voice of the Hogwarts Headmaster as he exited the fireplace.

"Bellatrix found her, tortured, all that time," Severus ground out angrily, "She looks like she is going to die."

"Master, miss Cythera is resting now," Sprinkles squeaked bowing deeply before vanishing with a quiet snap.

"Severus, you know what I will say, you are lucky no one figured it out earlier, but now it is useless for your sister to pretend she is not your sister, I believe you should bring her to stay at Order headquarters until semester begins," Dumbledore said resting a hand on Severus shaking shoulder, who had since slumped into a chair.

Severus nodded before standing and walking up the stairs to Cythera's room, she need to get several potions down to help quicken the healing, and make her lucid, he could only imagine what she had been through in that room.

Staring down at Cythera, Severus involuntarily shuddered at the sight of her, his loving baby sister, skeletal thin, covered in bruises and gruesome burns and cuts, no longer the vision of beauty she had been four months prior. Sprinkles had applied the pastes, but they would take awhile to completely heal. Grabbing a calming draught, a blood replenishing potion, and a few other assorted vials of various colors, Severus began administering them to his sister.

It was rare for anyone, including Albus Dumbledore, to see Severus in the way Cythera saw him. Severus was very close with his sister, and she was probably the only living person who knew how good of a man he was. Albus watched silently, blue eyes twinkling, as Cythera began to wake, her lovely almond eyes blinked slowly, focusing on her brother who loomed over her.

Everything was a blur to Cythera, but she knew that her brother was the dark shadow looming over her, she could smell the unique blend of scents that made up her brother. Trying in vain to sit up, Severus pushed her back down, shaking his head.

"Severus, I believe you can take Miss Snape to the Order headquarters now, she is healing well," Albus reminded Severus, nodding to the quickly fading bruises and cuts.

"Cythera, can you hear me?" Severus asked searching her almond eyes for any sign of recognition.

"Mmhmm," She mumbled feeling very tired, he must have given her a sleeping draught, he was sneaky, he knew she'd agree to whatever when she was half-asleep.

"I will be taking you to Order headquarters for you to stay until term starts in two weeks, you will be safe there," Severus explained quickly waving his wand to pack Cythera's things into a trunk.

In and out of consciousness, Cythera remembered flooing, she thought, she wasn't sure, because she was pretty sure she'd seen a duck tap dancing at the foot of her bed, and that seemed highly unlikely. When she woke up, she was glad it was not the horrific room she remembered, but a simple bedroom, she was lying in a very comfortable large four poster bed, groaning she sat up, hearing her back crack and pop in defiance.

"Ah, you are awake Miss Snape, feeling better?" The sound of Dumbledore's voice immediately caught Cythera's attention, as she turned to look at him.

"Uh, yes Where is my brother?" Cythera asked, not that she wasn't happy to see Dumbledore, that meant at least she was safe, but she'd have preferred to see her brother.

"He would have been here, but he was called away sadly, he should be back later tonight to check in on you," Dumbledore said with a soft smile, "Just know you are safe here and a personal guest of mine, I believe that there are some here who are your age, but I believe everyone is very curious about you."

Shortly after that, Dumbledore left Cythera to think, she groaned and flopped back into the pillows, after six years of being the nameless Cythera Prince, Ravenclaw who got outstanding grades, she no doubt was going to be Cythera Snape, sister to Potions Master Severus, and very interesting.

"I don't want to be bloody interesting," She growled to no one in particular, with an exasperated sigh, she slid out of bed, letting her feet touch the cold hardwood floor, making her way over to a mirror in the corner of the room.

"Goodbye Cythera Prince, Hello Cythera Snape," She mumbled running a hand through her hair and shaking her head.

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**Thank you for reading, please leave me a review, I enjoy all criticism, but if you flame me, well I don't care**


	2. Cythera What?

**_Ok Chapter 2, I am planning this story out over...around 25 chapters, possibly more, depending on how well it goes, Enjoy :)_**

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Going by her mother's maiden name had not been Cythera's choice, no that had been all Severus. Even though her birth certificate read : _Cythera Persephone Snape_ when she had turned eleven Severus told her at school she would be known as Cythera Prince, being eleven at the time, Cythera hated it and wanted to go by her real name. Severus refused and had threatened to not allow her to go to school at all if she didn't adhere to the set of rules he gave her. Upon finding a letter written by her brother he informed her of several things, Sirius Black was innocent, you-know-who was back, etc etc. Balling up the letter she threw it in the waste bin.

Cythera found that she had a bathroom adjoining the room she was left in, and quickly shed her clothing to take a shower. The hot water was soothing, Cythera was content enough to almost fall asleep under the hot spray, but her stomach gave an angry lurch that protested that thought. Climbing out of the shower, nearly slipping and catching herself on the counter, Cythera was able to see what her months in captivity had done to her.

Although the bruises, cuts, dirt, and blood were now gone, Cythera looked in a word, terrible. She had always been rather thin, her love of ballet kept her at a manageable weight, but now she was skeletal. Cythera had long believed if you could see one or two ribs while stretching that was ok, you were a bit on the thin side but fine. Cythera was gaunt, her skin had gone from a luminescent porcelain, to a sallow grey, she looked half dead.

Drying her hair she walked over to her trunk that sat at the end of her bed, She pulled on a pair of black satin pajama bottoms and a tight black tank top, groaning she dove into her trunk searching for her favorite sip up hoodie. With a sound of satisfaction she pulled on the over sized garment, a two sizes too big black zip up hoodie, it still was fuzzy on the inside and warmed her quickly.

Shoving her hands in her pockets she left the room, she didn't hear much, but she did hear noise coming from downstairs. She walked quietly as she could down the stairs,narrowing her almond eyes and watching for any sudden movements around her.

She quickly figured out that the voices she had heard were coming from what she assumed was the dining room. Stepping slowly into the room she looked around, cringing inwardly when all became quiet and eyes were focused on her. She saw a few familiar faces, along with a few unfamiliar ones, she felt her face begin to heat up as she was stared at. The only person she knew, who knew who she was exactly, and knew who her brother was, was her previous professor Remus Lupin.

"Oh dearie, I was just about to take some soup up to your room for you, feeling ok then?" A woman with read hair asked sweetly, smiling warmly at Cythera and resting the back of her hand on Cythera's forehead.

"I'm alright, just hungry is all," Cythera mumbled taking the seat that was offered next to her old defense against the dark arts professor Lupin.

"Here you go dear, oh where are my manners, I'm Molly Weasley, this is my husband Arthur, that is Sirius, Remus, and I'm sure you know the children from school," Molly said smiling and pointing at the unfamiliar adults along the table while she set a bowl of soup in front of Cythera.

"Cythera Pri- Snape, Cythera Snape, thank you very much," She responded softly, trying her best to ignore the gasps and the choking sound made when she had said her name.

Eating in silence, Cythera tried very hard not to notice the odd looks she got, she could almost see the conclusions everyone was jumping to, the soup was delicious and she ate it greedily. She eagerly ate two biscuits that Mrs. Weasley had given her and just as Cythera was going to ask for another serving of soup her name was bellowed by an all too familiar voice.

Surprising every Cythera jumped from her spot at the table and ran into the living room where she heard her brother, unknowing, or not caring about the amount of people who had followed her. She ran to her brother wrapping her arms around him. He however, did notice the several pairs of wide eyes that saw this unfold and pulled his face into a passive sneer.

"You're back in good health I see sister," Severus drawled earning a look from his sister.

"No, I'm the living dead," Cythera quipped, narrowing her eyes, "How long have you kept me unconscious?"

Pulling away Cythera smiled warmly at her brother, pulling her jacket over her shoulders again as it defiantly slid off. Everyone watched in somewhat of a state of awe as the siblings seemed to communicate with their eyes.

"As long as necessary, now come on," Severus stated in a warning tone, grabbing Cythera's hand and taking her back up to her room and closing the door.

Grumbling and shooting dirty looks at her elder brother while he checked over her injuries, or lack thereof, Cythera let out an angry growl. Severus raised an eyebrow, but went back to his checking, Cythera was too much sometimes.

"I'm fine Severus, I'm fine," Cythera groaned running a hand through her hair.

"Physically, malnourished, but I'm sure that can be quickly fixed," Severus stated, though Cythera saw worry in his eyes, and heard hesitation in his voice.

Slowly Cythera wrapped her arms around Severus' torso, burying her face in his chest. In the small room on the second floor of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, no one saw the affection between brother and sister as Severus held his sister's frail body as she sobbed into his robes.

"You will be moving to the states until this is over," Severus whispered hoping she did not take it badly.

Meanwhile downstairs, excited conversations of the newest guest of Grimmauld place were dominating any other topic. The adults didn't really get involved in the conversation, sticking more to Order matters, but the children, they were another story entirely.

"She's _Snape's _sister, since when does Snape have a _sister_," Harry said trying his best to wrap his head around this new information.

"She goes to Hogwarts, I've seen her in the library, but people would have known if she was Professor Snape's sister," Hermione said matter of factly.

"Nope, you see-" Fred began.

"She went by another name," George finished for his twin.

"Cythera Prince," The mischievous twins said together, earning astounded looks from the others.

"How do you know that?" Ron asked looking at the grinning boys incredulously.

"She's in our year-"George stated with a smirk.

"She's on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team-" Fred continued nudging his twin with his elbow.

"And she's bloody gorgeous," They finished laughing at the looks they received from the golden trio and their little sister.

"She doesn't look very gorgeous now," Ginny muttered remembering the skeletal look of Cythera.

"She's just a bit thin, mum will fix that right quick," Ron said knowing how much his mother was probably going to feed the girl.

A few minutes later, Cythera came running down the stairs, Severus hot on her heels, once again gaining the attention of the house.

"Cythera it's for your own safety!" Severus growled angrily at his defiant little sister.

"Oh, right making me leave my ENTIRE LIFE is safe! No I refuse! I am of age now I don't need your permission to do anything, I was locked in that hell for MONTHS, Months Severus! I will not just move to the states because you deem it bloody necessary!" Cythera yelled pointing angrily at Severus.

"I am your brother, and you will do as I say!" Severus yelled back, the twins and everyone had retreated to the dining room, out of firing range.

"No, I bloody won't! I am fighting in this war whether you like it or not, I love you, but you can't make me leave," Cythera said her tone getting softer towards the end, tears gathering in her eyes.

Severus let out a yell of frustration before apparating away, and not a second later Cythera fell to the ground in a heap.

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_Thank you and I hope you enjoyed it_


	3. Attachment

_Ok, so third chapter...I'm kinda busy lately, but will try to keep my updates frequent._

_Thank you for the reviews, those who reviewed, I greatly appreciate it and it motivates me to write more.  
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The day after Severus had made his dramatic exit, Cythera stayed in her room most of the day, Mrs. Weasley brought her food and worried over her, it was a new experience for Cythera to say the least. Cythera had grown up without parents, her father had died before she was born, and her mother during childbirth, all Cythera had was Severus. Being eighteen with a newborn couldn't have been easy for him she knew, he had help taking care of her especially with his spying, but he'd always been there for the important things.

Lying back in the soft pillows of her bed, Cythera remembered her first bit of magic she'd ever done.

_Cythera had been five years old at the time, her hair was in bouncy spiral curls, wearing a cute black dress, that according to Cythera was perfect for twirling in. She had been in Severus' quarters at Hogwarts, Severus was sitting at his desk grading, looking over at his twirling sister every once in a while._

_Then there was a noise, a small eep escaped Cythera's lips after she knocked into a table that had several bottles of potion on the edge. Severus turned to look quickly only to see the 3 bottles were floating, with Cythera's eyes fixed on them._

_Quickly getting out of his chair Severus grabbed the bottles and put them back on the table, in the middle of the table, to avoid further accidents, before turning to his blushing little sister. _

"_I's sorry," Cythera mumbled looking at the ground, tears welling up in her large almond colored eyes._

_Severus knelt down in front of her, pushing her chin up with two fingers,wiped away her tears and smiled a soft smile at his baby sister. Reaching out he hooked his arms under Cytheras and spun her around above his head, earning the musical laughter of his beloved sister._

Severus had always loved her, taken care of her, and done what was right for her, and she felt horrible for the way she had treated him. With a swift tug, she pulled her blankets over her, cuddling deeper into her pillows before her eyes fluttered shut and sleep took over.

Downstairs with the twins and the golden trio, Harry and Ron were sitting in armchairs by the fire playing wizard chess, Harry was losing badly. Hermione was curled up in a soft arm chair reading, occasionally taking down a note or two. While the twins had draped themselves over the couch, shooting off ideas to each other about new products they could make.

"Hey George, How'd you guys really know all that stuff about Snape's sister?" Ron asked as he grinned victoriously at his knight capturing Harry's queen.

"Was partnered with her in potions in fifth year," One of the twins replied, "Oh, what about a cake makes you grow cat ears and a tail?"

The other twin nodded with a smile, "That'd be great around Halloween."

"Would someone take this up to Cytheras room, she hasn't had dinner and the meetings about to start," Mrs. Weasley asked holding out a plate of food.

No one moved at first, before the twins heaved themselves off the couch, then Mrs. Weasley was beginning to have second thoughts.

"Boys, don't put anything in or do anything to her food, you understand," Mrs. Weasley warned the identical smiling boys.

"Of course mother," Fred stated with a grin.

"Wouldn't dream of it," George laughed taking the plate from his hesitant mother.

Trudging up the stairs Fred and George traded ideas on what to possibly do to Cytheras food, deciding on hexing the food to avoid her fork at all costs, they laughed and knocked on the door to her bedroom.

Cythera grumbled angrily upon hearing the knocking on her door, delving deeper into her warm cocoon hoping they would go away. Her efforts proved futile as the knocking got louder and more frequent.

"Oh bloody hell come in," Cythera yelled angrily snuggling deeper into her pillows, cracking one eye to see who had woken her up, only to be overwhelmed by the smell of food and the sight of the twins.

"See that's not fair," Fred stated pointing at Cythera.

"We have to clean," George grumbled, setting Cytheras food on her bedside table.

"You nap all day," Fred whined, dodging a pillow thrown from the bed.

"My bed is just far to comfortable to be left all alone," Cythera stated with a wicked grin in their direction, sitting up to look at the food they'd brought, fouling their hex attempt by reaching out and picking food off the plate with her fingers.

Giving each other a look, both the twins jumped onto Cytheras bed, situating themselves til one was on either side of her.

"Oh you are right," The twin on her left said with a smile.

"Very comfortable indeed," The other stated both of the twins ignoring her grumbles of protest.

Silence washed over the trio as Cythera snuggled her pillow close and began to nod off to sleep. The twins looked at each other before shrugging and getting comfortable themselves, falling asleep not long after Cythera.

The next two weeks went by quickly, Cythera and the twins became quite close, and with her advanced potions skills she offered quite a bit of insight on their inventions for their soon to come joke shop. Severus disliked the twins getting so close to his baby sister, especially the first time he came back to find them all asleep in Cytheras bed.

It had taken Cythera two hours to calm Severus down, assuring him he was overreacting and that nothing had happened between herself and the twins. After that instant, the twins and Cythera became inseparable, often spending the day lounging in Cytheras room while she worked on making Remus' wolfsbane for him, since her brother couldn't, creating new products, and often all passing out in Cytheras bed in the early morning hours, much to Mrs. Weasleys annoyance.

Today was different though, the twins had been forced to their rooms early the night before, drug by their ears, because today was September first. Cythera stared at herself in the mirror, she would be getting on the Hogwarts express headed for Hogwarts the last time today, her final year. She could only imagine how everyone, including her small group of friends she had in ravenclaw, would take to finding out her true name.

Cythera hadn't had many friends as it was, she mostly kept to herself, and she didn't see them taking the news of her last name particularly well. With a sigh, Cythera ran a hand through her hair, it had grown a good bit since last year, and was now back to the silky state it'd been before. In her two weeks at Grimmauld Place, she'd guess she'd gained about twenty pounds, she was still rather thin, but certainly getting back to where she wanted to be.

Pulling on her v-neck sapphire blue sweater, she charmed her hair into bouncing spirals and put it up in a high ponytail. Smoothing the invisible creases in her dark jeans, she smiled at herself. Her vanity was short lived, as a distinct rhythmic knocking announced the arrival of Fred and George.

"Come in," She called, growling lightly as she attempted to latch her locket securely around her neck, and failing.

Fred and George quickly opened the door, sauntering into the room, taking their normal place on her bed, they flashed her identical grins, receiving a faltering half-smile in return. Without a word, they patted the space between them, beckoning over their flustered friend.

Giving up on her locket she tossed it onto her bedside table and crawled in between the two redheads, heaving a dramatic sigh. Fred and George quickly wrapped an arm around her to comfort her.

"Nervous?" They both asked simultaneously, earning a little nod for Cythera.

"Don't think the school is going to react well to my last name, let alone my friends," Cythera mumbled picking at her sweater.

"Well you'll still have us," Fred stated squeezing her affectionately.

"We don't care if you're related to the greasy git," George laughed, earning a soft swat from Cythera, who smiled nonetheless.

Fred picked up the silver locket from her bedside table, and successfully latched it around Cythera's neck, making sure not to get any of her hair caught in it.

"Thank you Fred," Cythera smiled, clasping her hand around the sterling silver heart that hung from her neck.

"You can tell us apart?" Fred asked with a bewildered look to his brother, who looked just as shocked.

"I suppose, your magic feels different then Georges," Cythera shrugged, patting their legs and sliding out of bed, "Come on then, your mom's likely to implode if we don't get down there soon."

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_Thank you for reading, Please Review if you can, it is greatly appreciated._


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